The Washington State House did not pass any of the National Popular Vote Plan bills, and it is now too late. SB 5628 has passed the Senate in February 2008, but it never made it through the House Rules Committee. Democrats have a majority in the House and could have passed it if they had wished to.
Washington state’s HB 1534, which improves ballot access for minor parties and independents, failed to move through the Washington Senate Rules Committee by the deadline, so it cannot pass.
It is tough to pass a bill like this, while the entire state is still waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court decision on its primary process. The case, Washington State v Washington State Republican Party et al, was argued on October 1, 2007, in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court still hasn’t issued the opinion.
On March 12, Dr. Jack Kevorkian declared that he will be an independent candidate for U.S. House from Michigan’s 9th district. The 9th district is a Republican district centered on Pontiac, Michigan. Thanks to Thomas Jones for this news.
On March 7, the U.S. District Court in Virginia that had jurisdiction over Ralph Nader’s lawsuit against the Democratic National Committee (stemming from events in 2004) transferred the case to U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. The case is now before U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Urbina, a Clinton appointee.
On March 11, Indiana held a special election to fill the vacant U.S. House seat, 7th district. With 82% counted, the results are: Democratic 53.23%; Republican 43.83%; Libertarian 2.93%.
When this same seat last voted, in November 2006, the results were: Democratic 53.76%; Republican 46.24%.
